Many portable electronic devices, such as two-way radio equipment, are commonly used by consumers as well as public service agencies. These persons may include police, fire and/or public utilities. In order to enable the user to easily carry the radio on their person, most portable two-way radio equipment includes a clip attached to a rear portion of the radio housing. This clip is typically used for attaching the radio to the user's belt, holster or other fixture where it can be easily accessed.
Moreover, many electronic devices, such as more complex two-way radio equipment discussed above, typically include one or more electrical connectors within the radio housing. These connectors are used for attaching peripheral devices to the radio such as microphones, speakers, antennas or external power supplies. In order to insure that moisture and debris does not penetrate or degrade the performance of the connector when not in use, a protective cover some refereed to as a "dust" or "port" cover can used to protect the connector. The port cover can be as simple as a small plastic insert that is inserted over or within the connector when not in use. This is more clearly shown in prior art FIG. 1, where the electronic device 10 includes an electrical connector 11 that is covered or protected by a protective cover 13 when not in use.
One method used to insure that the protective cover is not lost when removed is to attach a small lanyard to the cover. The lanyard attaches at one end to the cover while its opposite end is typically attached to another portion on the radio. This insures that the protective cover remains attached to the radio so that it can be reattached at a later time when the electrical connector is again exposed. The use of the lanyard may create a number of problems due to the loose and dangling nature of the lanyard assembly not to mention the cumbersome appearance of a protective cover hanging from the radio.
Thus, the need exists to easily store the protective cover to an electronic device, such as a portable two-way radio, without the need or additional expense of providing a protective cover lanyard connected to the radio.